Tag Futebol

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is facing repeated calls for his dismissal amid a woeful 2024/2025 campaign, with a well-connected former Spurs scout now sharing when he believes the 59-year-old will be shown his P45.

Postecoglou under more Tottenham pressure after Aston Villa defeat

The problems at Spurs are well-documented, and have been around long before they crashed out of the FA Cup fourth round to Aston Villa last weekend.

Tottenham open to axing £190k-a-week star in previously "unthinkable" sale

It would be a significant move by the Lilywhites.

ByEmilio Galantini Feb 11, 2025

Postecoglou is now relying solely on his side’s participation in the Europa League to end Tottenham’s 17-year wait for a major trophy, but that barely scratches the surface when it comes to describing the Lilywhites’ lacklustre season.

Man United (home)

February 16th

Ipswich Town (away)

February 22nd

Man City (home)

February 26th

Bournemouth (home)

March 9th

Fulham (away)

March 16th

The north Londoners sit 14th in the Premier League table, closer to relegation than European qualification, with Postecoglou’s squad stretched to the absolute bare bones after a plethora of debilitating injuries to key first-team players over the last few months.

A large portion of Spurs supporters were eager to see the return of open, attacking and front-foot football after the pragmatic years of José Mourinho and Antonio Conte, but a lot of the criticism aimed Postecoglou’s way has centered around the perceived lack of a plan B approach.

Luckily for the ex-Celtic boss, Tottenham expect to have a host of first-teamers back fairly soon, including Guglielmo Vicario, left-back Destiny Udogie, midfielder James Maddison, Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert.

These vital re-introductions could prove pivotal to Postecoglou’s job status, especially with Tottenham doing due-diligence on potential new managers behind-the-scenes.

Insider shares Ange Postecoglou sack theory at Tottenham

Speaking to Football Insider, former Lilywhites scout Mick Brown, who is said to remain very well-connected at his ex-employers, has shared his belief about when Spurs could decide to sack Postecoglou – and returning players will greatly determine the timeline.

“They’re putting their eggs in one basket at the moment,” he said. “The thinking is very much ‘we’ll be alright when we get our injured players back’.

“But given the length of time these players have been out of the game, they’ve got to get back up to match fitness, can they do that while still starting games? Then, if they get them all back, and they’re still losing games, what happens then?

“The pressure will only get more intense, and I think that’s when he’ll be sacked, if players come back from injuries and there isn’t an immediate turnaround in form. That’s what they’re expecting and hoping for – players to come back and results to improve.

“If it doesn’t happen, the blame will be placed on the manager. They’ve put so much emphasis on these injured players, so they’re willing to stick with him until he gets them back into the team.

“But if they come back and things don’t go well, it doesn’t bode well for Postecoglou’s position.”

Despite being sanctioned by the government, South Africa’s cricket system is not all that far from being able to call itself representative

Firdose Moonda26-Apr-2016It may not seem like it but South Africa’s cricket bosses can breathe a little easier. Although they received what seems a hefty punishment – being banned from bidding for or hosting major tournaments – for the slow progress of transformation, unlike their rugby counterparts they have both enough time and enough resources to ensure the sanction is lifted before it could make a real difference.South Africa was not in line to host a senior ICC tournament until at least 2023 and has only been pencilled in to stage the Under-19 World Cup in 2020. The government’s transformation targets are reviewed annually, which means that by next year, CSA could see the penalty reversed. But the board will need to make some changes and many are wondering what those have to be.The curiosity begins in the question itself, because the terms of the memorandum of understanding five South African sports federations signed with the sports ministry have not been made public. At Monday’s press conference, where sports minister Fikile Mbalula received the transformation reports and delivered his verdict, the barometer for measuring progress was set at 60%.That means that in order to avoid sanctions, 60% of players in the national cricket, rugby, football, netball and athletics teams had to be players of colour, which refers to anyone of black African, mixed-race or Indian descent. Only football met this target.Cricket was not that far off the mark, though, with a representation rate of 55%. Bridging the gap will be CSA’s first task.Using the 60% mark, South Africa would have to field seven players of colour in the national team, which would leave space for four white players. The significance of that ratio will not be lost on some. When transformation targets were first introduced in 1998, the quota was four players of colour in teams. The new requirements have essentially reversed that. They also require South African cricket to go where it has only gone three times before.

“I know what it was like to have to take three or four taxis from the township to the stadium for practice, not having a job but having pressure to earn a salary for a family”Lions coach Geoffrey Toyana

In 2013, in ODIs against Netherlands, Pakistan and India, South Africa fielded seven players of colour. On 17 other occasions – eight ODIs and nine T20s – South Africa teams have included six players of colour. The most they have ever had in a Test is five players of colour, in 17 matches. In the 2015-16 season, the South Africa XI typically consisted of between four and five players of colour. So where will the extra players come from?The obvious answer is the domestic system, where at least 36 players of colour regularly ply their trade at franchise level, in line with the transformation targets of six players of colour per team. Should CSA want to put that in line with the international target, it may look at increasing that number to seven, as it considered doing last year.It did try to implement a target in the second-tier system – the 13 provincial teams – of seven players of colour but backtracked after a legal threat from the South African Cricketers’ Association, who said it was told too late about the proposed changes. Instead, CSA used last season to increase the black African quota from two to three.This subsection of the target is also something the ministry of sport addressed, although there is no explicit target. Black African representation in South Africa’s cricket team sits at just 9%, which translates to one player in an XI. Last season, most often, this player was Kagiso Rabada, although Eddie Leie, Temba Bavuma and Aaron Phangiso also featured. The ministry continues to monitor whether this number will go up.The systems put in place at domestic level suggest that it has to. Even without increasing the franchise targets, there are 18 black African players in the franchise set-up and 18 other players of colour. Naturally, the next question will be whether any or all of them are good enough to make the step up or if the system is merely colouring by numbers.CSA’s transformation goals run from players and coaches right through to administrators•AFPAmong the top five franchise performers in each format were: one batsman of colour in first-class cricket, Qaasim Adams, and two bowlers of colour, Dane Piedt and Tabraiz Shamsi; three batsmen of colour in the 50-over format, Alviro Petersen, Rudi Second and Justin Ontong, and four bowlers of colour – of which three were black African – Malusi Siboto, Wayne Parnell, Junior Dala and Tshepo Moreki. In the T20 tournament, there was one batsman of colour in the top five, Reeza Hendricks, and two bowlers of colour, both black African, Sisanda Magala and Phangiso.This analysis, albeit brief, is proof that players are coming through but also evidence of a glaring problem. There is a lack of batsmen of colour, particularly black African batsmen, and a lack of first-class performers of colour. If CSA is to address the national team’s transformation issues, these are the areas it needs to focus on, by ensuring the development of black African batsmen – for whom Test centurion Bavuma has become a role-model – and nurturing players of colour in the longer format.The issue of mentoring these players is also a transformation issue, not least because the number of coaches forms part of the ministry’s assessment. Willie Basson, a member of the group that puts together the transformation report and a former acting president of CSA, explained that the relationships between coaches of colour and players of colour are different because they often involve a level of understanding about background that can be absent in the relationship between a white coach and player of colour.Lions’ coach Geoffrey Toyana is a case point. Toyana is a former first-class cricketer from the storied Soweto township and has previously spoken of how he can relate to the socio-economic difficulties players of colour face as they try to make it as professional sportsmen. “I know what it was like to have to take three or four taxis from the township to the stadium for practice, not having a job but having pressure to earn a salary for a family and that kind of thing,” Toyana said. It is seen as no accident that under Toyana’s watch, Lions have become the team with the most black African players, including Test successes Rabada and Bavuma.

There is a lack of batsmen of colour, particularly black African batsmen, and a lack of first-class performers of colour. If CSA is to address the national team’s transformation issues, these are the areas it needs to focus on

Toyana is one of two black African coaches at franchise level, along with Warriors’ Malibongwe Maketa, and one of three coaches of colour – Paul Adams of Cobras is the third. That number could increase to four in the 2016-17 season, with Yashin Ebrahim and Roger Telemachus in line to succeed Lance Klusener as Dolphins’ coach.South Africa are also transforming their coaching of feeder sides for the national team. Lawrence Mahatlane, a black African who won trophies in charge of the Gauteng provincial team, is the Under-19s coach, while Shukri Conrad, a franchise trophy winner with Cobras and Lions, is the national academy coach. Vincent Barnes, a successful bowler who was denied the chance to play for South Africa in the apartheid years and a former national bowling coach, is CSA’s high performance manager.Administratively, South African cricket is also keeping up with transformation requirements. Three of the six franchise CEOs are people of colour, although none is black African. CSA’s president, Chris Nenzani, is black African and the CEO, Haroon Lorgat, a person of colour.All these things are taken into account when the transformation report is compiled, so it is not only about the composition of the national team but about wholesale change. Not everybody likes this way of looking at things – former allrounder Jacques Kallis even said it made him embarrassed to be South African – but it is clear that cricket is not far from meeting the requirements and having the sanction lifted, and thus being able to call itself a sport that represents all South Africans.

After parting ways with Paul Warne, Derby County are now reportedly set to make a formal approach to hire a rival manager from within the Championship.

Derby recuse point at Norwich after Warne departs

Having suffered as many as eight defeats on the bounce, Warne was always likely to be a manager in danger of being shown the door and a 1-0 loss against Sheffield United proved to be one too many as the Rams jumped into action. In the depths of a relegation battle, it’s fair to say that those at Pride Park must get their next appointment right.

Releasing a statement after sacking Warne, Owner David Clowes said: “Paul is a man of great integrity and embodies the values we hold important at Derby County. No fan should ever forget his contribution in securing promotion to the Championship. I certainly won’t.

“However, results in football dictate decisions and we felt that to give us the best chance of retaining our Championship status, the time was right to make a change.

“Paul goes with our thanks, gratitude and best wishes. He and his family will always be welcome at Pride Park.”

Now in need of a replacement after Jerry Yates’ late goal earned a point at Norwich on Saturday, the Rams have turned towards a Championship rival. According to John Percy of The Telegraph, Derby are now set to make a formal approach to hire John Eustace, who is currently in charge of Blackburn Rovers.

Given that Blackburn are a side competing for a place in the play-offs, Derby’s attempt to lure Eustace to Pride Park is certainly an ambitious one but they may be hoping that his connection as a former player lures him back to the club.

"Solid" Eustace would be incredible coup

If Derby managed to convince Eustace into ditching his current Blackburn project, which is currently on course for the playoffs, in favour of a relegation battle then it would undoubtedly be among the moves of the season. The ambitious Rams have not been scared away by the contrasting position that Blackburn find themselves in and where there’s a will there is certainly still a way.

Of course, it wasn’t so long ago that Birmingham City were left regretting their decision to sack Eustace in what led to their relegation despite being well-placed to compete for a top six finish when they made their decision. Now, Blackburn should be desperate to keep hold of the Derby target and avoid a similar fate.

Praised for the “very solid job” that he did at Birmingham by fan pundit HLTCO when the shock news of his departure emerged, Eustace should avoid being at the centre of another managerial change and remain on a path to success at Blackburn.

Derby, meanwhile, may find themselves with their tails tucked between their legs if their incredibly ambitious move is shut down before it can even accelerate in the coming weeks.

da brdice： As the January transfer window comes to a close, Barcelona have reportedly already set their sights on signing an in-form Crystal Palace star when the summer arrives.

Crystal Palace transfer news

da apostaganha： The Eagles have done well to keep hold of their own star men in the last month whilst also welcoming additions themselves to hand Oliver Glasner a welcomed boost.

Having commenced the January transfer window by welcoming a young talent in Romain Esse – who scored on his debut against Brentford recently – Palace ended their window by welcoming an experienced defender in the form of Ben Chilwell.

The Chelsea defender comes in at the same time that those at Selhurst Park were reportedly forced to reject an offer of as much as £70m from Tottenham Hotspur for Marc Guehi.

Related After Chilwell: Crystal Palace now pushing for dream Chalobah replacement

This could be Palace’s second deadline day signing after Chilwell

Posts ByJoe Nuttall Feb 3, 2025

Rejecting the offer with such little time remaining to find a viable replacement, Guehi may not be the only star man who Crystal Palace face a battle to keep when the summer arrives.

According to reports in Spain, Barcelona are now plotting a move to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta this summer and see the forward as a less complicated option on the spending front as well as one who could replace Robert Lewandowski.

Whether Crystal Palace agree with that verdict on the economical front remains to be seen, however, given that they remained unmoved by Spurs’ late big-money attempts to lure Guehi away from South London.

Should they remain just as stubborn in the face of Barcelona’s chase of Mateta, then Palace may yet keep hold of their star striker this summer.

"Amazing" Mateta is more important than ever

If Barcelona come calling this summer, then Palace should do everything in their power to turn the Spaniards down amid Metata’s growing importance. The 27-year-old is at the peak of his powers and last summer’s move to sign Eddie Nketiah seemingly only spurred him on to make the starting role his own and prove that he is the best option for Glasner at Selhurst Park.

After scoring twice in a 2-0 victory over Manchester United last time out, Mateta was at the centre of his Glasner’s praise. The Austrian told reporters: “We don’t always talk because he knows what we demand of him. With his two goals today, he is amazing in the box.

“He has the feeling that a number nine must have in the box. He makes so many runs where he doesn’t get the ball. You need to suffer as a striker because you make so many runs where you don’t get the ball. He gets the reward and it decides the game for us.”

With six goals in his last five Premier League games, Mateta is once again the man of the moment for Crystal Palace.

MatériaMais Notícias

da poker： A Gestão Landim conquistou o décimo título no Flamengo com a conquista da Copa do Brasil sobre o Corinthians na noite desta quarta-feira, no Maracanã. Após a partida, Marcos Braz enalteceu a conquista.

+Rodinei vive roteiro de herói no Flamengo e tem desfecho perfeito com gol do título da Copa do Brasil

O vice-presidente de futebol do Rubro-Negro valorizou o crescimento do Flamengo na temporada e disse que a corrida pelo título começou contra o Atlético-MG, nas oitavas de final. Veja no vídeo acima!

– Esse campeonato foi do recomeço, de tirar forças do interior pra você se superar, começou lá contra o Atlético-MG com aquele jogo de volta (no Maracanã). Nós perdemos o primeiro jogo lá (Belo Horizonte). Deu tudo certo, é um título importante, é um título nacional, o que valoriza essa conquista também é que foi em cima do Corinthians, nos últimos 10 anos duas vezes campeão nacional, campeão do mundo – afirmou.

RelacionadasFlamengoRodinei despista sobre renovação com o Flamengo após título da Copa do BrasilFlamengo20/10/2022FlamengoGabi nega que título da Copa do Brasil era ‘peso’ para o Flamengo: ‘Agora o álbum está completo’Flamengo20/10/2022FlamengoArrascaeta, do Flamengo, é eleito o melhor jogador da Copa do BrasilFlamengo20/10/2022

أعلن الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم فيفا عن تصنيف المنتخبات لشهر يوليو 2025 مع استقرار في الصدارة من قبل منتخب الأرجنتين بعد المباريات التي خاضها في بداية شهر يونيو الماضي.

وجاء منتخب الأرجنتين في الصدارة برصيد 1885 نقطة في حين ظلت إسبانيا في الوصافة برصيد 1867 نقطة ثم فرنسا وإنجلترا في المركزين الثالث والرابع.

اقرأ أيضًا | نهائي مبكر و4 أشواط واستراحة أطول.. مطالبات بتغييرات جذرية في كأس العالم 2026

في حين شهدت المراكز العشرة الأولى تقدم منتخب البرتغال بعد التتويج ببطولة دوري الأمم الأوروبية على حساب إسبانيا، ليحتل المركز السادس خلف البرازيل.

كان هناك تقدم أيضًا لمنتخبين آخرين وهما ألمانيا وكرواتيا حيث احتلا المركزين التاسع والعاشر، فيما تراجعت إيطاليا مركزين لتحتل المرتبة الحادية عشر.

منتخب كوستاريكا هو من كان صاحب الإنجاز الأكبر في التصنيف حيث تقدم 14 مركزًا في تصنيف الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا”، وأصبح في المركز الأربعين، بينما شهد منتخب جامايكا تراجعًا هو الأعلى هذا الشهر بسبعة مراكز. أفضل 10 منتخبات في تصنيف فيفا لشهر يوليو 2025

1- الأرجنتين

2- إسبانيا

3- فرنسا

4- إنجلترا

5- البرازيل

6- البرتغال

7- هولندا

8- بلجيكا

9- ألمانيا

10- كرواتيا

Tottenham Hotspur have now made contact over a deal for an “outstanding” defender, having emerged as the club showing the most interest in his signature.

Tottenham struggling defensively

Given Ange Postecoglou’s attacking style of play, it will always be difficult for Tottenham to keep a great number of clean sheets, and they have often looked poor defensively in the first half of the campaign.

Spurs’ 6-3 defeat at home to Liverpool in the Premier League displayed their frailties at the back, and their defensive struggles may soon be exacerbated further by a number of defenders being sidelined with injuries.

With the likes of Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies and Destiny Udogie all currently on the treatment table, Postecoglou may be forced to enter the transfer market for a new defender this month.

Tottenham eyeing bargain January move for "pure quality" £54,000-p/w star

Ange Postecoglou is keeping tabs on a midfielder.

1 ByDominic Lund Jan 2, 2025

A number of targets have been identified by the Australian, with AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori now on the list, alongside the likes of Borussia Monchengladbach’s Ko Ikatura and Lens’ Abdukodir Khusanov, having opened talks for the latter two players.

Tottenham clearly have a number of options in mind, and there is another player on the shortlist, with journalist Alessandro Giovanni Pagliarini reporting they have made contact with Atalanta to ask for information about Ben Godfrey.

“Not only #Wolves and #NFFC, also #Tottenham asked for information for Ben #Godfrey. The defender did not convince Gasperini and will leave #Atalanta in the January market.”

The 26-year-old, who cost £10m in the summer, has not done enough to convince manager Gian Piero Gasperini and is set to leave the Serie A club this winter, potentially opening the door for a move to north London, although Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest are also keen.

Journalist Rudy Galetti has confirmed that Spurs have shown “the most interest” in Godfrey, as they look to reinforce their defence this winter.

Godfrey could reignite his career at Tottenham

Things may not have worked out exactly to plan for the centre-back in Italy, but he has put in some impressive performances over the past year, showcasing his defensive attributes.

The York-born defender ranks in the 99th percentile for clearances per 90, and the 97th percentile for aerials won, when compared to his positional peers, displaying his dominance in the air.

During his time with Norwich City, the defender was hailed by former manager Daniel Farke, who said: “You can speak about the best centre-backs in the world now but at 19 and 20 they will have made mistakes.

“The best ones learn. Ben is playing without mistakes and that is outstanding. He is a pretty emotional player and I like that a lot because it means you are capable of finding another gear.”

The Englishman has a great deal of Premier League experience, making 112 appearances in the competition, and he could be a solid signing for Tottenham as they look to fix their defensive issues between now and the end of the campaign.

MatériaMais Notícias

da esport bet： São Paulo e Avaí se enfrentam neste domingo (25), às 20h, no estádio do Morumbi, em duelo válido pela 28ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. O Tricolor ocupa a 13ª posição na tabela, com 34 pontos, enquanto o Leão da Ilha é o 17º colocado, com 28.

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da gbg bet： Galeria
>Com Sul-Americana, São Paulo amplia recorde de time brasileiro finalista em torneios continentais

Tabela
> Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro

O duelo entre as equipes terá transmissão exclusiva do Canal Premiere, pay-per-view da Rede Globo, para todo o Brasil, onde somente assinantes terão acesso ao jogo.

Além dos meios citados, os torcedores poderão acompanhar o confronto por meio do tempo real do LANCE!/Voz do Esporte.

Veja mais informações sobre o jogo:

SÃO PAULO x AVAÍ

Local: Morumbi, em São Paulo (SP)
Data e hora:25/9/2022, às 20h (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Bruno Arleu de Araujo (RJ) [Fifa]
Assistentes: Eduardo Gonçalves da Cruz (MS) e Thiago Rosa de Oliveira (RJ)
VAR: Rodrigo Nunes de Sá (RJ) [Fifa]
Onde assistir: Premiere e em tempo real no LANCE!/Voz do Esporte

Manchester United exited the Carabao Cup at the quarter-final stage after a 4-3 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in North London last night.

Goals from Heung-min Son, Dominic Solanke (x2) and Dejan Kulusevski secured victory for Ange Postecoglou’s side, ending Ruben Amorim’s chances of a first title since his appointment.

The Red Devils did find themselves three goals down at one stage, but goals from Joshua Zirkzee, Amad Diallo and Jonny Evans made the scoreline somewhat respectable.

Undoubtedly, the loss will be frustrating, but more importantly, the manner of the defeat, looking second best for the majority of the encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Amorim handed various opportunities out to players who haven’t had the best start to the campaign, but were unable to take their chance with both hands.

United’s disappointing performers against Spurs

Victor Lindelof was replaced just before the break after picking up an injury, subsequently being replaced by eventual goalscorer Evans.

However, up until his withdrawal, he failed to make a real impression on the new boss, unable to stake his claim for a regular starting role after his rare start last night.

The Swedish international didn’t win any duels and failed to win a single tackle, losing possession three times in the process during his first half display.

Goalkeeper Altay Bayindir was utilised between the sticks instead of Andre Onana, making his first appearance since the cup victory against Leicester City at the end of October.

However, he had an evening to forget in North London, conceding four, with his misjudgement leading to Son’s corner flying straight in for the host’s fourth goal of the evening, having also parried Pedro Porro’s effort for the game’s opener.

He only made two saves in the process, but was unable to swing the game in the Red Devils’ favour, contributing to their defeat, with the result perhaps having been different had Onana started the game.

Bayindir wasn’t the only player to fail to impress, as another first-team star demonstrated why he’s been a bench option for the majority of the season – potentially playing his last game for the club.

The United player who was as bad as Bayindir vs Spurs

Brazilian winger Antony has failed to demonstrate why the club were so keen to fork out £86m for his signature back in the summer of 2022, only scoring 12 goals since his big-money arrival.

However, last night Amorim handed the 24-year-old the chance to prove why he should start on a regular basis, but like Bayindir, it was an evening to forget for the attacker.

He only featured for 55 minutes before being replaced by goalscorer Diallo, but it was a deserved withdrawal after failing to make any form of positive impression on the encounter.

The “abysmal” winger, as dubbed by one content creator, only completed 87% of his attempted passes, losing possession a whopping 11 times – an average of once every five minutes he played.

Minutes played

55

Touches

33

Passes completed

13/15 (87%)

Successful dribbles

0/4 (0%)

Duels lost

10

Shots taken

1

Possession lost

11x

Antony also lost ten duels – the most of any player on the pitch – whilst failing to complete any of the four dribbles he attempted for Amorim’s side.

As a result of his dismal showing, he was handed a measly 4/10 match rating by the Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst – an indication as to how poor he was throughout.

With January coming up, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the hierarchy try and offload the attacker, with The Athletic’s Carl Anka claiming it might be the “last game Antony starts for United for a while” given his lack of impact. Indeed, amid reports regarding a possible sale in the upcoming window, perhaps the Brazilian has kicked his last ball in a United shirt.

The club are undoubtedly going to lose a huge chunk of their mammoth investment, but he’s had more than enough chances to prove himself – evidently not being at the level required for success going into 2025.

Man Utd make bid for "one of the best" who's a massive upgrade on Rashford

Manchester United have made a bid for a star who could send Marcus Rashford packing.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 19, 2024

Meg Lanning will continue her break from the game as the Australian domestic season gets underway with the expanded WNCL, but a host of international players will be on display during the opening rounds which take place ahead of the WBBL.Even though they are missing Lanning, Victoria can still call on Ellyse Perry and Annabel Sutherland from their contracted Australia names when they face South Australia while Sophie Molineux will captain the side having taken over during the winter.Related

• The race to 130kph: NSW project aims to unlock female pace bowling

• Nitschke's inbox: Haynes' replacement, new leaders and sustaining success

South Australia, meanwhile, are stocked with international names. Megan Schutt has been named captain while the side could feature Tahlia McGrath, Darcie Brown and Amanda-Jade Wellington.New South Wales will be captained by Alyssa Healy who will be joined by Ash Gardner against Queensland at North Sydney Oval. Others with international experience include Hannah Darlington and Erin Burns, while pace bowler Maitlan Brown has featured in squads without yet making a debut.

Opening WNCL fixtures

September 23 SA vs VIC, Karen Rolton Oval; WA vs ACT, WACA; NSW vs QLD, North Sydney

September 25 SA vs VIC, Karen Rolton Oval, WA vs ACT, WACA; NSW vs QLD, North Sydney

September 30 NSW vs WA, North Sydney

October 1 QLD vs ACT, Bill Pippen Oval

October 2 NSW vs WA, North Sydney

October 3 QLD vs ACT, Bill Pippen Oval

October 4 VIC vs TAS, Junction Oval

October 6 VIC vs TAS, Junction Oval

Queensland will be captained by Jess Jonassen and their squad features Grace Harris who was a key part of the Commonwealth Games success. Georgia Redmayne has been a regular reserve player for Australia.Western Australia will be able to call on Beth Mooney, who made the big off-season move by switching from Queensland, and breakout bowling star Alana King. Their first opponents, ACT, are the only side without an Australia-listed player.Tasmania, who begin their title defence next month, have Nicola Carey as a current Australia representative while Heather Graham has also featured in recent squads.From the players in Australia’s contracts list announced earlier this year, Rachael Haynes won’t feature having announced her retirement along with the Victoria pair of Tayla Vlaeminck (foot) and Georgia Wareham (ACL) who remain long-term injuries.The WNCL has increased to a 12-game tournament this season with each side playing each other twice before the final. The competition begins on Friday with six sides in action with the fixtures repeated on Sunday. Tasmania and South Australia will play twice in these opening rounds while the other teams have four games.The tournament then resumes in mid-December when Australia will be in India for T20Is, but there should be another opportunity for those players to appear after Christmas before the visit of Pakistan in January. The latter part takes place in February when the T20 World Cup is on in South Africa.